Last



Nov. 8, 1927. m 1,648,882

J. c. SCHELTER LAST Filed Aug. 28. 1924 420;? ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 8; 1927.

JOHN C. SCHELTER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

LAST.

Application filed August 28, 1924. Serial No. 734,640.

The present invention relates to lasts and more particularly to the type having a toe part and a heel part connected together for relative movement, and an object of this invention is to provide a construction in which the heel art and the toe part are connected together y a rigid member pivoted to both parts, provision being made for pivoting the two parts at a point between the pivots of said member, while, at the same time, permitting a relative movement in the direction of the length of the last during such pivoting so that the center line through the two pivots of the rigid member may swing from one side of the axis of the pivot between the two last parts to the other and vice versa for effecting the expansion and the collapsing of the last. Another object of the invention is to provide a last construction with a rigid locking piece pivotally connected to a heel part and also to a toe part of a last, the two last parts having a resilient pivotal connection which permits a line drawn through the two pivots of the locking piece to pass from one side to the other of a center line through the resilient pivotal connection and vice versa upon the expansion and the collapsing of the last.

To these and other ends, the invention consists of certain parts and combinations of parts, all of which will be hereinafter described: the novel features being pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a last constructed in accordance with this invention showing portions of the last adjacent the pivotal connection in vertical section and the last in an expanded condition;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the last in a collapsed condition;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing another embodiment of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the illustrated embodiments of the invention and first to the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, 1 indicates the toe part and 2 the heel part of the last. These parts are pivotally connected together in such a manner that, during the swinging movement of the two parts, one ofthe parts may be moved in the direction of the lengh of the last relatively to the other part. This combined movement may be effected by making the ing the heel part turning thereon,

pivoting member 3 resilient, preferably by making it in the form of a split tube secured preferably by pins t to the toe part and havthe split in the tube being illustrated at 5. Preferably the last before it is out transversely is bored for the pivot member and the transverse cut of the last is thereafter made through this bore so that in effect the pivot opening becomes an elipse when the last parts are brought together and thereby places the tube under compression. The pins 4: hold the spring tube against turning on the fore part so that the position of the split will be maintained. In order to hold the heel part in cooperative relation with the resilient pivoting means 4, a bonding means is provided which also acts as a locking means. This bonding means, in this instance, is in the form of a rigid member or link 6, pivoted at 7 in a slot or kerf 8 in the toe part and at 9 in a slot or kerf 10 in the heel part. The bonding means 6 is formed with an opening or slot 1T through which the pivoting means 3 extends permitting the bonding means to workor move relatively to the pivoting means.

During the collapsing or the expansion of the last, the pivot 9 of the bonding or looking member 6 swings relatively to the pivoting means 3 between the last parts, and, as a consequence, a line intersecting the axis of the two pivot pins 7 and 9 swings first from one side of the center of the pivoting means 3 and then to the other side of the center of said pivoting means and vice versa as the pivot 9 moves in an are which has a different center from the arc in which the heel piece 2 would swing under ordinary conditions, the pivoting means 3 is constructed to yield so that the heel part during the swinging shifts its axis of swinging and advances toward the pivot pin 7 or in the direction of the length of the last.

The amount of this resiliency may be materially reduced if in the expansion of the last the line through the two pivoting points of the bonding and locking member is not swung too far below the center of the pivoting means between the two last parts. This will be understood more fully by reference to the member shown in l, where parts like those in Figs. 1 to 3 are given the same reference characters. The difference in this construction over the construction shown in Fig. 1 resides mainly in the pivoting means 3 the center of which when the last is expended is but slightly above the line through the two pivots 7 and 9, and, in addition the resilient pivoting means 3 is made materially thicker, thereby reducing the resiliency and giving more strength thereto. It is apparent that with this construction, the resistance is imposed only for a small distance or through a small arc and,ias a consequence, when the last is collapsed a greater freedom of movement in the heel piece is present.

In both embodin'ients of the invention, during the pivoting action, the pivoting means permits the pivotal axis to shift, this result being preferably accomplished through the making of the pivoting means resilient. The last parts are held together by a rigid part which is pivotally connected to both parts and causes the line between the two pivots of the bonding means to swing on opposite sides of the axis of the pivoting means of the two last parts. This construction is compactly arranged in the last and does not materially weaken the same. The

resilient pivotal connection permits the last to shorten in taking the same from a shoe and therefore does not impose the usual strain on the shoe, thereby stopping the breaking of'the throat of the shoe.

lVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A hinged last comprising a fore part and a heel part capable of movement between an extended and a collapsed position and having their adjacent portions each provided with a recess, a split resilient tube arranged in both recesses, means for securing said tube to one of the parts so as to prevent the turning of the tube relatively to such part and to maintain the split at a desired position, and a bonding member connecting the heel part to the fore part to cause the tube to be compressed upon the shifting of the parts from extended to collapsed position or vice versa. v

JOHN o. SCHELTER. 

